Dish in freezer, taking it out every 5-10 minutes putting a small amount on it and waiting for a minute to see if it ripples. This is what I do for jam but ive never made marmalade before should I be doing something different?

I think it needs to boil for longer by the sound of it. You can do it tomorrow but you may need to wash jars and get a sticky layer/ring on the dish or anything it is stored in over night. I think the skin of orange makes it harder to set than jam for some reason...forget why!

All it has to do is wrinkle, so yes, just like jam. It does take longer than expected, but its also easy to think its still not set when it is! The thing is, once setting point is reached, you need to take it off the heat, stir a teaspoon of butter into the top and then leave it to STAND for 15 minutes (while you get ready for bed? ) as otherwise the peel will sink when you pot it up if you do it too hot. How's it going?

The colours changing and it's getting thicker but it's slow! I didn't know re the butter thing it doesn't mention that in my book, what's that for and do I need to adjust quantities, I'm making 2kg worth of orange s which were given to me but turned out to be REALLY sour

2kg of oranges is a double load, so that's why its taking a long time to set! Don't worry, its well on the way; you'll just have to hang in there. As for butter, its just a neat trick to clear the foam on top, as otherwise it spoils the look of the marmalade. With that amount you must keep stirring otherwise its going to catch. If it's changing colour I would give it a max of another ten minutes, take it off the heat and test. It will definitely get there!

Stir it in at the very end, once its off the heat, and leave to stand! Hope it works for you fingers crossed. Incidentally, although you can use marmalade straight away, it improves with keeping, and the set thickens,. We regularly eat my Seville marmalade 18 months later, but you do need good jars.

This happened to me during my first attempt a few weeks ago. The recipe called for seville oranges but I couldn't get them so I used the exotically named "large oranges" from the supermarket. This meant the pH value was different to what the recipe was written for.

I couldn't get it to set, but had to go out, so I just put it into the jars I had sterilised ready. Then they were all sealed up, and I was under no pressure to do anything with them immediately. It ended up being over a week later when I could get to them, and I just boiled it all up again with a load (75ml) more lemon juice to change the pH. It only wrinkled a tiny bit, but it was enough to set nicely.

I think the butter thing disperses the scum, doesn't it? It's the leaving it to cool for 10-15 min that stops the peel sinking in the jars. (I didn't do the butter thing, and my peel didn't sink.)

Sorry mamacoffee, I faded ! really glad it worked out in the end. I make a lot of marmalade every year, and my final twopennorth is - if using sevilles, lemon isn't necessary, but if using other oranges then lemons will be needed to assist set. Alternatively if making clementine marmalade you can use jam sugar (which has pectin added) because clementine marmalade is really a jam. And generally a kg of fruit is the easiest amount, so I would prepare fruit and then cook in two batches if using 2kg. Really pleased for you - post a pic?